Separable fastener



Nov. 9, 1937. w, GlLMORE 2,098,338

SEPARABLEl FASTENER Filed Jan. 28, 1933 INVENTOR. Milliam L, Gilmore BY Z Z l vATTORNEYS.

Patented Nov. 9, 1937 SEPARABLE FASTENER William L. Gilmore, Meadville, Pa., assignor to Hookless Fastener Company, a corporation of Pennsylvania Application January 28, 1933, Serial No. 654,030

6 Claims. (Cl. 24-205) This invention relates to separable fasteners of the kind having a pair of stringers provided with cooperating series of fastener elements and a slider for engaging and disengaging the fastener elements, one form of which is now 0n the market in large quantities. For certain uses of slide fasteners, for example, in sweaters or coatlike garments, the fastener series are provided with a separable end fastening connection, one part of which also acts as a slider stop. Several forms of such end connections have already come on the market.

One of the problems involved in a fastener of the above type equipped with a separable end connection is to prevent tearing of the tape at the end and pulling away from the parts of the end fastening device under a severe pulling.

Another problem is to anchor the end of the tape opposite the Stringer firmly in the garment 2.0 and for this purpose sheet metal parts with rivets have been used in some instances. Slide fasteners are ordinarily attached to the garments by .means of sewing machine stitches, and it is an 'objection on the part of the garment manufacturer to stop the sewing machine before going to the end of the fastener, vand then perform the additional operation of inserting the rivet.

Another problem involved in this type of connection is to secure strength with security of holding and at the same time, compactness and neatness in design and cheapness in total cost of production.

A separable end connection and stop device made in accordance with my present invention seems to meet the above problems in an especially satisfactory manner. The invention will be described more fully in the following specification and is exemplified in the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. l is a front view of a slide fastener equipped with an end connection made in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 2 is an isometric view of the bottom ends of the stringers showing the connecting parts separated.

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional View on line 3--3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view on line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the wire mesh before it is clamped around the tape.

Fig. 6 isI a sectional View on line 6-6 of Fig. l.

The construction of the flexible stringers 6, 1,

the interengaging fastener elements 8, slider 9,

and pull tab I0, may be in accordance with any of the commercial fasteners of this type and for further explanation of the construction and operation of these parts, reference is made to Sundback 1,219,881, March 20, 1917. It should, how- 5 ever, be noted that each of the stringers or tapes has a corded or beaded edge to provide more secure holding means for the fastener elements, and also for the parts of the separable end fastening device. 10

The tapes with their corded edges are extended beyond the lowermost interengaging elements 8 to provide room for applying the parts of the end fastening device.

According to my invention, the ends of the tapes are reinforced by a strip of wire mesh or other suitable material as indicated at I2 and I3. After cutting to the proper size, the wire mesh is simply folded around the end of the tape and the ends pressed together as indicated at I4, in 20 Fig. 3. When folded around thecorded edges, the wire mesh provides an enlarged anchoring portion I5.

While most of the advantages of the wire mesh can be secured with any known shape of connect- 25 ing parts, I preferably employ an improved connecting device which is particularly well suited for the purpose. 0n thestringer 6 is mounted the socket member I6 having an attaching portion I1, engaged over the anchoring portion of the wire mesh and the longitudinally extending socket with a closed bottom end anda slot I8 in its side wall. If desired, the ends of the wire mesh may be arranged under the attaching portion I1 and thereby firmly held in place. Preferably, this member has also an upward extension I9 forming a recess 20 for receiving the end of the slider 9 and preventing it from twisting. The upper portion of this socket member indicated at 2 I, is preferably at on its sides and made to t the inside channel of the slider so as to prevent any turning movement of the slider when the parts are being engaged.

For cooperation with the socketmember there 5 K is mounted on the other vstringer a tubular pinlike member 22 of such size as to be insertable longitudinally through the slider and into the socket of member I6. The slot I8 will accommodate the tape or Stringer 1 while the side wall 50.\ of the socket member will engage the pin member 22 to prevent lateral separation.

It is advantageous to providey aseparate tubular or stiifening member 23 above the pin member 22, which may have a lug 24 on its front side for" 55 prising the wire mesh reinforcement, and it will be prac-v tically impossible to displace the metal connecting parts on the tape.

In applying the fastener in a garment, it will be apparent that the manufacturer can continue his lines of stitching as they are shown at 21,

uninterruptedly through the wire mesh reinforcevment to the ends of the stringers. This reinforcement, of course, has small apertures 28 throughout its area and the sewing machine needle will easily find one of these apertures and enable stitches to be passed through. I believe it is advisable to employ a relatively fine wire mesh with a relatively Wide spacing although, in practice, a wide range of such materials will be found to give satisfactory results.

'I'he wire mesh reinforcement also acts as a pleasing finish for the tape end which may be cut off abruptly at the end or folded back as indicated at 30, in Fig. 2.

In operation it will be understood that the pin member 2| is inserted longitudinally through the slider channel and into engagement with the socket until it strikes the end'wall of the socket member. The slider is then pulled lup and the fastener elements 8 are easily engaged because they are properly located for intermeshing. In opening the device it is merely necessary to push the slider to the bottom of its travel where the end of the slider strikes the socket member I6, as shown in Fig. 2, whereupon the pin member may be easily lifted from its socket.

As a result of my invention, it will be evident that a strong reinforcement is provided for the tape ends, and the parts may be easily engaged.V

At the same time, the device is compact` lightweight, and' has a certain degree of suppleness and iiexibility. Furthermore, it can be easily attached in garments by commonly used methods. While I have shown and described in thsapplication one embodiment which my invention may assume in practice, it will be understood that this embodiment is merely for the purpose of illustration and description and that various other forms may be devised within the scope of my invention as defined in the appended claims.

What I claim as my invention is:-

1. In combination with a separable fastener of the kind having a pair of stringers provided with cooperating series of fastener elements and a slider for engaging and disengaging said fastener elements, a separable end connection comcooperating independent connecting members attached respectively to said stringers and metallic reinforcing means on the end of at least one of said stringers interlocked with the connecting member, said reinforcing means overlying a portion of the stringer and having openings to permit uninterrupted passage of stitches therethrough at any desired point.

2. In combination with a separable fastener of the kind having a pair of tape stringers provided with cooperating series of fastener elements and a slider for engaging and disengaging said fastener elements, a separable enclr connection comprising cooperating independent connecting members attached respectively to said stringers and metallic reinforcing means on the end of at least one of said stringers, and overlying the tape en d and having a` series of apertures therein permitting an uninterrupted series ofsewing machine stitches.

3. In combination with a separable fastener of thekind having a pair of stringers provided with cooperating series of fastener elements and a slider` for engaging and disengaging said fastener elements, a separable end connection comprising a strip of Wire mesh folded around the inner edge of each stringer and extending over the end thereof, and cooperating independent connecting members engaged around the stringers and edges of said wire mesh, said wire mesh being of such character yas to permit an uninterrupted series of sewing machine stitches to be passed therethrough. 4. In combination with a separable fastener of the kind having a pair of stringers provided with cooperating series of fastener elements and a slider for `engaging and disengaging said fastener elements, a separable end connection comprising reinforcing and finishing means for the tape ends consisting of a strip of wire mesh folded around the end of each stringer and extending to the inner edge of each stringer, and cooperating connecting members carried respectively by said stringers having attaching means engaged around said stringer edge and interlocked with said wire mesh.

5. In combination with a separable fastener of the kind having a pair of stringers provided with cooperating series of fastener elements and a slider for engaging and disengaging said fastener elements, a separable end connection comprising reinforcing and finishing means for the tape ends consisting of a strip of wire mesh folded around the end of each stringer and extending to the inner edge of each stringer, and cooperating connecting members carried respectively by said stringers being cast to form on said apes so that the connecting members are firmly interlocked with said tape ends and wire mesh strips.

6. In a separable fastener of the class described, a pair of stringers provided with cooperating series of fastener elements and a slider forengaging and dlsengaging said elements, a separable end connection comprising reinforcement members of porous material folded around the edge of the tape and extending cross-wise thereof, and cooperating engaging members on the opposite element at least one of which is cast in place over said porous reinforcing elements whereby the cast material extends through the porous reinforcing elements and in contact with the tape stringer whereby such cast ele.

ment, reinforcing member and tape are rmly 

